Congrats to chef Traci Des Jardins, who was just celebrating the 15th anniversary of ~JARDINIÈRE~, as she announces that she is the sole managing owner of the restaurant after buying out her business partner of 16 years, Pat Kuleto. (Reading the press release, I had a total flashback of when it was Kimball’s West.) As for Kuleto, he’s enjoying the newlywed life with his wife, Jennifer, and son Daniel, and continues to be “on the prowl” for new projects.

More chef news: according to a tweet from chef-owner Scott Youkilis, there is a new chef at ~HOG & ROCKS~: Robin Song (he was previously at Haven, Plum, and Ame). He’ll be launching a full new menu soon.

And over at ~BLUESTEM BRASSERIE~, the previous chef duo of Francis Hogan and Josh Lucas is no more. Lucas is no longer at Bluestem, and Hogan has taken over as the sole chef. The new fall menu reflects the change, with some different items and a meatier focus.

Welcome to the World Series. Again. Ha. Mwa ha ha. And with another shot at the World Series title comes another week of eating too much and drinking too much. Let us help you find a place where you can do both while watching the game. First up? Hog & Rocks, billed as San Francisco’s first Ham and Oyster bar, will offer the following special below for all games: $8 wings, $8 chili cheese fries, $9 Beer/shot, and $1 oysters all game long. Prices last all series long.

Game 1 of the World Series starts Wednesday, October 24, at 5 p.m. at AT&T Park.

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Six Spots Where You Can Watch the World Series and Eat Well Too

By Marcia Gagliardi

How ‘bout them Giants? It’s time for the World Series, and now you just need some cool places to watch the game. That dive around the corner is awesome, but baseball games are long—you need spots with food to keep you going, and drinks that justify ordering more than one round (and some deals wouldn’t hurt!). Here are a few to add to your list:

Bluestem Brasserie
Bluestem Brasserie in SoMa is a stylish spot to take in the games. Plus, they’ve put together a special drink to celebrate the Giants: the Black and Orange, which is tequila, Cointreau, lime, and lemon juice with a black salt rim for $10. You can also catch Happy Hour Mon–Fri from 4pm–6:30pm, with $5 wine, $7 cocktails, $3 beers, and Hamm’s for only $1.

Hog & Rocks
In the Mission? Head to Hog & Rocks for their World Series specials. You can get $8 wings, $8 chili cheese fries, a beer and a shot for $9, and $1 oysters during all games. Plus, you can order any of the items off their regular menu, and enjoy the scene.

Mario’s Bohemian Cigar Café
This old school, tiny North Beach spot is cute as a button, but not too precious. They’ll have the Giants up on their screen, and make sure you order a hot focaccia sandwich to keep you going all nine innings. (Will it be the meatball, or the breaded eggplant? Oh, decisions.)

Mission Rock Resort
Mission Rock has a full bar on two stories, balconies, and oysters. The only possible problem is that the amazing view might distract you from the game, but I bet you’ll manage. Their Happy Hour kicks off Mon–Fri evenings from 4pm–6pm, which will coincide with some World Series Games, and you can get $5 glasses of wine, $4 draught beer, $7 cocktails, and $1 oysters. Yep, not too shabby.

Nombe
This Mission izakaya just got their projector fixed, so the games will be shown in HD at the bar and on the wall! The menu is full of tasty fried bites (from chicken to sweetbreads) and the beer and sake choices are plentiful.
Presidio Social Club
If you’re in the Marina but avoid Union Street like the plague when the game is on, make your way to this classy joint instead. They’ll be showing the games at their vintage-inspired bar, plus serving a special food and beer deal at the bar during all World Series games: for ten bucks you get a pint of Trumer Pils and a bratwurst sandwich.

Hog & Rocks has hired a new executive chef, Robin Song, from Daniel Pattersonville (Haven, Plum). It sounds like Song will refine the “gastropub” shtick a bit with dishes like trotter tots with romesco and local cod with forbidden rice. There’s also a new $45 four-course family-style menu option that can be paired to a “boozy punch bowl” for an additional $45.

A meal so epic it takes two days to prepare, “The Feast” is a four-course tour for six (or more) featuring seasonally changing eats like a duo of jus-soaked short ribs (braised and seared), and the option to add a Whiskey Barrel Punch, which’s either a Soda Popinski finishing move, or a bowl filled with citrus, Old Grand-Dad bourbon, and bubbles.

Offers on Booze and Lunch on Black Friday; Dinner Deal for Groups at Hog & Rocks

Out shopping and need a pick-me-up? Feeling a little broke with all the holiday spending? Or just too busy to cook? Here are some festive deals to keep you frugally well fed.

If you just can’t resist a good Black Friday buying frenzy in Union Square but the whole experience leaves you needing a drink, head over to the ~BRASSERIE S&P~ at the Mandarin Oriental. From 11am-11pm on Friday November 23rd, they’ll be offering bar bites and glasses of bubbly for $5, plus their excellent selection of gin and housemade tonics.

Beginning Friday November 23rd, ~GRAND CAFÉ~ will be offering a special prix-fixe lunch for only $15 (not including tax and tip). The lunch includes roasted chicken, savory bread pudding, chicory salad, and a choice of dessert or a glass of rosé. Yeah, it’s a steal. It’s available during lunch on Mon-Fri only from 11:30am-2:30pm until the end of the year.

Looking to get some friends together around the holidays, without having to vacuum your apartment? ~HOG & ROCKS~ has you covered, with The Feast menu. The special four-course meal is available for groups of six or more, and you can take a look at the menu here, though it may change. The menu costs $45 per person, not including tax, tip, or beverages (you can add on a whiskey punch bowl for $45). Reservations must be made in advance.

When it comes to innovative fare, San Francisco’s Mission District is an embarrassment of riches. Yet within this diverse culinary landscape Hog & Rocks (3431 19th Street) has managed to carve out its own distinct identity as the Bay Area’s ‘first ham and oyster bar.‘ Executive Chef Robin Song recently took over in the kitchen, making some interesting changes to a menu that pairs exceptionally well with a comprehensive list of seasonally-rotating cocktails. He sat down with me last week over a few drinks to explain what led him to this two-year-old neighborhood fixture.

“I wanted a venue where I could showcase my talents,” Chef Song said. “Hog & Rocks has a strong commitment to Northern California Cuisine.” In addition to impressive, local fare there’s an ‘encyclopedic‘ compendium of bourbon and whiskey behind the bar. This is all the work of Michael Lazar–bar manager, published cocktail author, and, as described by Song, “a mad scientist.” After all, it takes a touch of madness–not to mention a clever pun–to mix Larceny Bourbon with a house-made black mission fig puree into such a pleasant result, as he does with A Figment of My Imagination.

Chef Song has wasted no time incorporating the flavor profile of sophisticated mixology into his composed dishes. “I’ve been using a lot of botanicals, smoke and barley in foods where you wouldn’t normally see them,” he notes, “it’s not as easy as pairing with wine.”

I kicked my meal off with a Black Manhattan, built around Rittenhouse rye. The drink features an unexpected twist courtesy of Nardini amaro, an herbaceous Italian digestif. The complex, aged finish of the cocktail pairs effortlessly with Chef Song’s Sardines a la Plancha–their subdued saltiness and zesty citrus glaze cutting right through the spiciness of the Rye.

Using succulent beef brisket chuck as its base, the burger at Hogs & Rocks might be the best in the city. For such classic, savory fare you need a no-nonsense, heavy-hitting drink to back it up. Their Old Fashioned delivers in spades. Balancing out the gentle, caramel notes of the Old Fitzgerald Bourbon is a surprisingly bitter, orange sugar. Spicy, sweet, savory, salty all meld into a delicate dance alternating between bite and sip.

As Chef Song is quick to point out, “the bar scene is constantly moving forward.” Consequently, he is faced with an unyielding task: deliver the perfect pairings for cocktail-minded clientele whose palates are far from fixed. After an evening with this accomplished maestro, there is zero doubt that he’s up to the challenge.

Check out their website for special events, including occasional Whiskey dinners.

More and more restaurants in San Francisco are tailoring booze to fit their tastes. Some are stocking custom-distilled gins; others custom-brewing beer.

Hog & Rocks, which already has an enviable bourbon list, has joined the cult of the bespoke. Owner Scott Youkilis and bar manager Michael Lazar are purchasing bourbon by the barrel from well-known Kentucky distillers.

The shipment of Willett 8-year ($14 a glass) arrived a few weeks ago. The wheated bourbon comes across as ruddy-toned and brawny; if it were a red wine, it’d be a top-shelf Malbec.

Because the spirit is bottled at cask strength (135 proof), a sip sets off fireworks across your palate; swirl in a good dose of water, and the bourbon settles down, letting its toffee-apple character take over.

Drinkers who like their whiskeys leaner and lighter may prefer the single-barrel Elijah Craig 12-year ($9 a glass). With a smooth, caramel-tinged greeting and a hint of coffee in the farewell, the Elijah Craig sips more like a good oloroso sherry.

Fall for either spirit, and you can order your own bottle to keep behind the bar.

If all you want for Christmas is a night off duty from the kitchen, consider taking the whole brood out instead. There’ll be plenty of time to lounge around in your pajamas and drink eggnog; the holidays are the time to don your gay apparel and enjoy an expertly cooked Yuletide meal (traditional or not) out on the town. We’ve turned up plenty of fantastic restaurant options in the San Francisco Bay Area that will be open on Christmas Eve and Day. Check them out below and check out some options outside the city right here.

Christmas Eve

A16: This Southern Italian wine-centric trattoria in the Marina will pay homage to the traditional Italian-style Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve with a five-course menu that includes the likes of swordfish carpaccio, Dungeness crab and chocolate budino ($75 per person with $60 wine pairings, 5:30-10 PM, 415-771-2216).

Delfina: Craig Stoll will continue his custom of presenting a traditional and nontraditional à la carte Feast of the Seven Fishes menu on Christmas Eve at his Mission flagship. Expect lots of Italianate fish dishes including Stoll’s famous lobster spaghetti (5:30-10 PM, 415-552-4055).

Absinthe: Consider getting the holiday meal over with early in the day at this Hayes Valley eatery where chef Adam Keough will be serving a celebratory brunch on Christmas Eve. In addition to its classic San Francisco-inspired brasserie brunch menu, Keough will be offering specials such Noni’s pastina soup and baked eggs with braised short ribs (11 AM-3 PM, 415-551-1590).

Boxing Room: Justin Simoneaux will be whipping up a special à la carte Cajun- and Creole-inspired Christmas Eve lunch menu at Boxing Room in Hayes Valley – think smoked chicken and andouille gumbo, duck and sausage jambalaya and fried chicken po’boys; guests can also order the Louisiana Plate Lunch special which includes an entree, side, dessert and beverage for $15 (11:30-4:30 PM, 415-430-6590).

Hogs & Rocks: New executive chef Robin Song will be putting his stamp on this Mission gastropub’s Christmas Eve three-course prix fixe menu, which features the classic standing rib roast served with roasted potatoes and carrots as the main event. Owner Scott Youkilis tells us they’ve scrapped wine pairings because most customers prefer to pair their meal with bar manager Michael Lazar’s handcrafted cocktails ($38 per person, begins at 5 PM, 415-550-8627).

Parallel 37: The Ritz-Carlton on Nob Hill is offering a slew of holiday teas and meals, including a five-course Christmas Eve dinner at Parallel ($105 per person with additional $95 for wine pairings, 4-9 PM), a Christmas Day jazz brunch in the Ballroom ($110 per adult, $55 for kids, 11 AM-4 PM) and a five-course Christmas Day dinner at Parallel 37 ($105 per person with additional $95 for wine pairings, 4-9 PM, with a limited à la carte menu offered at the bar, for details and reservations call 800-241-3333).

One Market: Chef Marc Dommen will roll out a special Christmas Eve à la carte dinner menu at this Downtown New American at the foot of Market Street with options such as bacon-wrapped port tenderloin (5-8:15 PM, 415-777-5577).

Christmas Day

Ame: Hiro Sone and his SoMa crew in the St. Regis will be turning out a five-course Christmas Day dinner featuring his signature globally inspired New American cuisine; the restaurant will also be open on Christmas Eve, serving both an à la carte and a prix fixe menu ($95 per person with additional wine pairings for $68, 4-8 PM, the regular menu will also be available, 415-284-4040).

Campton Place: This tony Union Square haven in the Campton Hotel will be open on both Christmas Eve and Day, serving a five-course meal (On the 24th, it’ll be a five-course meal for $105 per person, offered only in the evening; on Christmas Day, the holiday meal will be served from 11:30 AM-9:30 PM and will cost $115 per person, 415-955-5555).

Luce: Chef Daniel Corey at SoMa’s InterContinental Hotel will be presenting a multicourse feast featuring the likes of Dungeness crab, prime rib and eggnog cheesecake on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day ($80 per person, with additional $45 for wine pairings; a kids’ menu is available for $45; for hours and reservations for either meal, call 415-616-6560).

Brasserie S&P: The new brasserie at Downtown San Francisco’s Mandarin Oriental will be serving a Christmas Day brunch buffet with all the trimmings ($65 for adults, $35 for kids, 10 AM-3 PM), as well as holiday-inspired three-course dinner (also served on Christmas Eve) with main choices of Cornish game hen, white sea bass or whole roasted Dungeness crab, followed by traditional desserts such as plum pudding or bûche de Noël ($75 per person, 4-9 PM, for all meals call 415-276-9888).

Urban Tavern: Catch an affordable traditional meal at this Union Square tavern that will be serving grilled rosemary ham with all the fixings (yams, potato gratin, Brussels sprouts) on Christmas Eve and for lunch or dinner on Christmas Day ($24 per person, 415-923-4400).

Tommy Toys: If you’re looking for that classic I’ll-have-Chinese-instead for Christmas meal, consider this upscale spot, which will be presenting a six-course dinner on both Christmas Eve and Day that includes Maine lobster in ginger scallion bouillon, Peking duck and other signature delicacies ($68 per person, vegetarian option available upon request, 5:30-9:30 PM on both days, 415-397-4888).